Reflection No. 3259 of 4322

Context · Reflection

Exodus 16:13-28: a reflection

13In the evening, quail came up and covered the camp; and in the morning the dew lay around the camp. 14When the dew that lay had gone, behold, on the surface of the wilderness was a small round thing, small as the frost on the ground. 15When the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they didn’t know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.’” 17The children of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating. 19Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.” 20Notwithstanding they didn’t listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, so it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted. 22On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23He said to them, “This is that which the LORD has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’” 24They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you shall not find it in the field. 26Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none.” 27On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28The LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?

Lord, when you provide manna for your people in the wilderness, you attach to it a discipline of daily dependence: they were to gather only enough for each day, and not to hoard it, for any kept overnight bred worms and became foul. Let no one leave of it until the morning, Moses said; but some hoarded it anyway, and it spoiled. The manna could not be stored up; it had to be gathered fresh each day, teaching the people to depend on you daily, to trust you for each day's provision rather than hoarding against tomorrow. You gave enough for today, and called them to trust you for tomorrow's supply. Show me the discipline the manna taught: daily dependence, not hoarding. The people could not store the manna up; it spoiled if kept overnight. They had to gather fresh each morning and trust you to provide again tomorrow. Those who tried to hoard found it bred worms and became foul. This was a discipline in daily dependence on you. You did not give them a store to rely on, but daily bread, so that they had to trust you each day. This teaches me that I am called to daily dependence, gathering what I need for today, trusting you for tomorrow, rather than anxiously hoarding, trying to secure my future myself as though I could not trust you for it. Take that to my heart, for I am called to daily dependence on you, trusting you for each day rather than anxiously hoarding against tomorrow. I can try to secure my future by hoarding, as though I could not trust you for it; but the manna could not be hoarded, teaching Israel daily dependence. There is peace in depending on you each day rather than the anxiety of hoarding. Keep me from anxiously hoarding against tomorrow as though I could not trust you for it; help me depend on you daily, Lord, trusting you for each day's provision, as the manna taught Israel, for you who provide for today can be trusted for tomorrow.